Understanding
by Fire The Canon
Summary: They're not that different, James and Dominique. They both have a lot to live up to. For Karyn.


_**Dedicated to Kailey Hamilton (Karyn) for January in Gift Giving Extravaganza**_

_**Written for lezonne's Duct Tape Competition - Light Blue: Write about a good friendship between two characters**_

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**Understanding**

When James first came to Hogwarts he had no one. Some would say that was strange considering who he was. He was part of the ginormous Weasley clan – how could he not have anyone?

But having cousins meant nothing to him. There was Victoire, his sixth year prefect cousin, and there was Molly – the cousin he didn't like – who was starting with him. There was also Dominique, the first Weasley in four generations to be put in a house that wasn't Gryffindor. Of the three cousins currently attending Hogwarts, she was his favourite.

She was more of a Weasley, he decided. She had the red hair, the loud, boisterous nature and the gentleness that came with being a Weasley. Victoire was more like her mother with blonde hair and overly beautiful. She was also quite vane and very popular amongst the Hogwarts boys.

Molly was never pleasant to be around. Snobby and quite annoying, it was only her younger sister and her parents who seemed to think she was a decent person.

But Dominique was none of those things. She was normal, James thought. At least as normal as someone could get when they came from the family they did.

As he walked through the Great Hall to the Sorting Hat where his fate would be decided he threw a nervous glance to the Hufflepuff table where she sat. She gave him a thumbs-up and he smiled, turning his expression to one of confidence. He couldn't let people see he was nervous.

He would never admit it, but when he was sorted into Gryffindor he was a little disappointed. Not to be in Gryffindor – he would _never_ be disappointed about that – but the fact that he would be stuck in the same house as Victoire. It frustrated him. All he would be known as was Harry Potter's son, or Victoire's younger cousin (or: _Aren't you named after your grandfather and his best friend? I heard they were really cool_).

He had a lot to live up to, and although he pretended it didn't bother him, the looming first day of classes terrified him. After all his mother and father had done, everyone would expect the same of him.

"You know, they talk about you in the hallways."

James gave a startled jolt as a voice approached him in a third floor corridor. He spun around, coming face-to-face with the green eyes of his cousin. "I don't care," he said. "I pretend to ignore them."

Dominique grinned. "Hm, yeah, I would, too," she admitted. "I try to."

"They don't talk about you, at least," James scowled.

"Oh, they do. But then I tell them who my parents are and when they don't recognise the names, I'm left alone." She appeared quite pleased with that, and James wondered if he could do it, too. He doubted it.

"Wait 'til Al gets here," Dominique continued as they made their way down the corridor. "He's named after Hogwarts' most famous Headmaster. He'll be a celebrity."

"Better him than me," James said, cheered by the thought that his younger brother might get more attention than himself.

"Let me show you something," Dominique then said, throwing an arm around James' shoulder and guiding him around the opposite corner to where James had been planning on going.

"Where are you taking me?" James demanded, shaking away from her hold. "I have class."

"You don't cross me as someone who cares about missing a class," Dominique replied mildly, dragging him along behind her.

James wanted to tell her he didn't want to after he'd only been there for three weeks, but she was so determined he followed anyway. Up and down staircases, around corners, through doors (even behind a tapestry at one stage) and she stopped in front of a blank wall. She was beaming, as if this was part of some absurd plan of hers, and started pacing backwards and forwards.

"What are you –?" But James had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when a door suddenly appeared in front of them (a door that hadn't been there moments ago).

"Is that… is that the Room of –"

"–Room of Requirement, yes," Dominique informed him with a wicked grin.

"Dad said it was destroyed," James said, quite bewildered as his cousin pushed open the door to reveal a room with a very comfortable looking armchair, a few bookshelves and even a bed in the corner.

"It was rebuilt," Dominique said simply. "Or it rebuilt itself. I come here sometimes… it's not easy to have a sister who's smart and popular, you know. Almost as horrible as having a father who saved the world. Also, the Delacours are pretty famous in France thanks to Mum, and people wonder why I look nothing like them."

James peered eagerly into the room, grinning. "It's great!" he exclaimed. "I love it."

"It's a good place to hide out," Dominique confessed. "To just sit down and read, to do homework, and a few times I've even spent the night here."

They entered, and in another corner James hadn't noticed before, there was another section dedicated purely to Quidditch. The room was big enough for them to practice flying, even. He could see an old Quaffle and some hoops floating just above. He beamed. He knew there was a reason why Dominique was one of his favourite cousins – she loved Quidditch as much as he did.

She seemed not to have noticed his interest, though. Her hands played with some of the ornaments on a bench as she continued. "I'm in my fourth year now," she said, "and the work is getting a little harder to the point most of our homework I need to do with others to get it done."

James had absently wandered to the makeshift Quidditch pitch.

"So, I probably won't be coming here as much as I used to. Feel free to use it. I mean… it's not _mine_ anyway. But feel free to think of this room and use everything inside whenever you want."

He picked up the old broomstick in the corner, running a hand down it. An old _Firebolt_, he realised. It was a bit slow compared to his _Phoenix 3_ that he had at home, but it would do.

"I don't know how to get in here," he then said, spinning back around to face Dominique.

"You just walk backwards and forwards three times, thinking of what you want," Dominique said. "It tells you that in one of the school books if you ever bother to read it."

James shook his head. That book contained too much about his family for him to care much for it. The same reason he was the only student in his year who despised History of Magic. These days, it was one of the most popular subjects, with everyone wanting to eagerly learn what happened almost twenty years ago. James had heard enough of the stories to already know about it all.

"Hm, I didn't think so. But it's interesting reading about it from another's perspective. Your parents have even contributed to it a little, as have Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. Dad even put something in there about goblins after it all happened. It's actually really fascinating."

James only nodded. He still wouldn't ever read it.

"Anyway, you should get back to class now. Sorry for pulling you away and making you late, but I thought you'd like to see it considering we're both in the same boat of having a lot to live up to. Feel free to use it whenever, okay. I mean it. It's our secret."

James' eyes darted to where the broomstick sat again. He would definitely be back. If first years weren't allowed their own broomstick then he would be here to practice. His favourite position was Keeper and he'd be damned if he didn't make the team next year.

Dominique walked over to him, and almost a foot taller, she pulled him into a tight embrace, ruffling his hair like one would a child.

"You've always been one of my favourite cousins," she mused. "We're alike in a lot of ways."

James pulled away from her, blushing despite no one being there to witness such an uncomfortable moment. She smirked.

"Go on, then, get back to class," she said. "I'll probably see you around here anyway. Remind me to teach you some new Quidditch moves the Hufflepuff team has been practicing. It'll change for next year anyway, so don't worry about stealing them when you get there next year."

Pride filled him as he made his way to the exit. _When_, she had said. Not _if_. As he went to open the door he turned to where she was now choosing a book from one of the shelves. "You've always been my favourite cousin," he told her. "You've always understood me."

She only smiled into her book, and he left, planning on coming back as soon as his last class of the day finished.

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_**This is my first time writing Dominique, I think, and I actually had quite a bit of fun with her. She's interesting. Karyn, I hope you liked it! I hope you all liked it! Your reviews would be very much appreciated.**_


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